Korea to Become 13th Nation with Space Center in 2008

, With more than 90 percent of the construction complete, Korea's first space center is slowly revealing its grandeur. 
 
Located in Goheung, on the coast of Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), the four-year-long construction of Korea's first space center — Naro Space Center — is almost in the final stage. All that is missing in the 454.5-sq-km field is the launch pad. 
 
Hyundai Heavy Industries has begun the construction of launch pad this year on a contract with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The launch pad system is also established thanks to the cooperation with Russia that has devised some part of equipments last year. 
 
Korea will become the 13th nation with its own space center in the first half of 2008 after the launch pad is completed. 
 
Currently, 12 countries operate 26 space centers around the world: the United States runs ten centers; China and Russia each own three; Japan two; India, Brazil, France, Kazakhstan, Australia, Pakistan, Israel and Canada all operate one space center. 
 
The Naro Space Center represents Korea's first step to become a major player in the exploration of space. 
 
Korea aims to become the ninth nation to launch an object into space with the launch of the 100-kg KSLV-I. The satellite has already been assembled and is scheduled to lift off from the Naro site as early as next October. 
 
Besides the launch pad, the center consists of facilities for satellite control, testing and assembly; press center, launch facility, electric power station, space experience hall, landing field and promotion institute test facility. 
 
A meteorological center will also be built on Maboksan, a small mountain near the Naro site, to collect weather data around the space center. 
 
An information-tracking center for the satellite was built on the south side of Jejudo (island) to collect aviation information at the end of 2006. 
 
The Ministry of Science and Technology vows to make Korea one of the top-10 space powers by 2015, while neighboring countries are already boosting their space technology.